1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to image processing, and more particularly to a system and method for 3D segmentation in MR colonography.
2. Description of Related Art
MR colonography is a new technology for the accurate detection of colonic polyps. This technology is less painful for patients than conventional colonoscopy, which leads to better patient participation in screening programs of colorectal cancer. MR colonography is also considered safer than CT colonography, because MR imaging does not expose the patient to radiations. But MR images have higher noise levels and lower resolutions than CT images, which makes the tasks of image post-processing and image analysis more difficult.
There are two main technologies for MR colonography. One is bright lumen colonography and the other one is dark lumen colonography. Both technologies do not need bowel cleansing, giving them a better patient acceptance compared to colonoscopy. However, the dark lumen technique has higher noise level but seems to be superior for detecting polyps.
Therefore, a need exists for a system and method for 3D segmentation in MR colonography to identify the area of the colon and to facilitate the detection and classification colonic lesions.